AKRON – High expectations.

What else could the Tippecanoe Valley girls basketball team have as it enters the 2016-17 campaign?

The Vikings, coming off the two most successful seasons in program history, are primed for another big year.

“We have high expectations this year and that is definitely a good thing to have,” said Valley coach Chris Kindig. “We’re not going to shy away from that. Our girls had a good offseason and the preseason has been really good.

“We are very excited and looking forward to the year. We would like to make another deep tourney run. We just need to go out and attack the season and take it one game at a time.”

The Vikings, led by senior All-Star candidate Anne Secrest, are 50-5 the past two seasons. Valley has went 16-0 to win back-to-back Three Rivers Conference championships. The Vikings, who were 13-7 three years ago, lost in the regional final last season to eventual state champion Heritage Christian, 72-47, to wrap up a 25-2 season after a Class 3-A state runner-up finish in 2015.

Secrest, who has been the IFN Player of the Year each of the last two seasons, has been the face of the program as the leader of a stellar senior class. The hard-working and humble 5-11 star averaged 16.7 points and 8.2 rebounds per game as a junior. The Youngstown State University recruit shot 66 percent from the field and 74 percent from the free throw line while blocking 49 shots last season.

“Anne has set a standard here and already left a legacy,” noted Kindig, who is 90-46 in his six seasons. “It’s been an amazing culture that she and our other seniors have established here in their careers.”

The Vikings also feature a star in the backcourt in Meredith Brouyette. The smooth, 5-6 southpaw sharpshooting guard averaged 8.7 points-per-game a year ago and hit a team-high 55 treys.

“Those two (Anne and Meredith) are our leaders in everything the team does, both on and off the floor,” noted Kindig. “They have been just tremendous for us.”

The Vikings, who checked in at No. 4 in the Class 3-A preseason poll, will feature plenty of depth and versatility despite losing three seniors in Brynda Krueger, Karis Tucker and Morgan Brazo, from a year ago. Krueger averaged 6.6 ppg. and led the team in both assists and steals.

“We have a lot of weapons this year and a nice combination of players,” said Kindig. “There’s been so much competition in practice. The effort has been very good every night, as has our senior leadership.”

Valley also welcomes back Hannah Dunn, another senior member of this year’s team. Dunn averaged 6.7 ppg. last season. The junior class is led by Addy Miller, another strong shooter who averaged 8.2 ppg. and drained 55 triples. Juniors Asia O’Connor (2.4) and Olivia Trippiedi (1.8) also return, while sophomore Sophie Bussard is back after an impressive freshman campaign in which she averaged 5.4 ppg.

“I really do like the mixture we have this year,” commented Kindig. “I think that we have 6-7 players who could score 15-20 points for us on any given night this season.”

The Vikings also have seniors Kilee Slone and Taneisha Brown, both of whom played junior varsity last year. Slone had to play on the JV team after transferring to Valley from Warsaw after playing her first two years there. Sophomore Emily Peterson, another southpaw shooter, is back in the mix after missing all of last season due to a shoulder injury.

“The biggest concern is how we will fit together as a team,” remarked Kindig. “I think that we will be fine in that regard. The girls are very supportive of each other.

“I really do think that this could be our best team.”

Valley will play its first five games on the road, starting at Bremen on Nov. 3. The home opener is their annual tournament Nov. 26. A high point of the season will be Dec. 29 as the Vikings travel to New Castle to play in the Hall of Fame Classic, an event that is by invitation only and features some of the top teams in the state every year.

“It’s a tremendous honor,” said Kindig of being invited to take part in the four-team girls portion of the HOF Classic (the four boys teams will play on Dec. 30). “It’s the first time for a Valley team and we are looking forward to it.”